Jepson School of Leadership Studies

The Jepson Leadership Forum presents Eric Klinenberg, author and Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University, for a discussion on "How 2020 Shaped 2024." The 2024-25 Jepson Leadership Forum invites scholars and experts to discuss how division and polarization affect American democracy. We will explore how and why divisions have manifested historically and currently in the United States, focusing on their impact on justice, education, politics, culture, technology, and class. Are division and the struggle to find common ground making us stronger or tearing us apart? Nov. 19, 2024

Jepson student Kate Chasin, ’26, sits down with Jepson Leadership Forum speaker Christopher Bail, professor of sociology, political science, and public policy at Duke University; associate of the Duke Initiative for Science and Society; and founding director of the Polarization Lab at Duke University, prior to his Jepson Leadership Forum presentation "Bridging Divides with Generative AI." The 2024-25 Jepson Leadership Forum invites scholars and experts to discuss how division and polarization affect American democracy. We will explore how and why divisions have manifested historically and currently in the United States, focusing on their impact on justice, education, politics, culture, technology, and class. Are division and the struggle to find common ground making us stronger or tearing us apart? Take 5 is a series of informal interviews with the scholars and experts who present as part of the lecture series. Oct. 1, 2024

The Gary L. McDowell Institute welcomes Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, to the Jepson Leadership Forum for her presentation "Justice by Means of Democracy.” The 2024-25 Jepson Leadership Forum invites scholars and experts to discuss how division and polarization affect American democracy. We will explore how and why divisions have manifested historically and currently in the United States, focusing on their impact on justice, education, politics, culture, technology, and class. Are division and the struggle to find common ground making us stronger or tearing us apart? Join us as we search for answers to this and other questions. This event was presented by the Jepson Leadership Forum, the Gary L. McDowell Institute, the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, and the School of Arts and Sciences. September 12, 2024

The Jepson School of Leadership Studies Gary L. McDowell Institute presents Zena Hitz, tutor at St. John’s College and the author of "Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life," for a discussion of the same name. March 21, 2024 The Gary L. McDowell Institute is dedicated to its namesake's values and principles: free inquiry, thoughtful deliberation, and rigorous discussion of classical texts and issues in political economy. The Institute welcomes all members of the University of Richmond community and a wide range of political perspectives.

The Jepson Leadership Forum presents Alice Evans for a discussion on " Ten Thousand Years of Patriarchy" on the University of Richmond campus. Evans is senior lecturer at King’s College London and author of the forthcoming book The Great Gender Divergence The last few decades have seen rapid changes in gender relations and norms -- in the household, in the workforce, and in government. The 2023-24 Jepson Leadership Forum invites speakers to discuss masculinity in the context of these recent cultural changes. March 5, 2024

University of Richmond student Ava Paul, ’24, sits down with Jepson Leadership Forum speaker Carole Hooven, author of "T: The Story of Testosterone"; former lecturer and co-director of Undergraduate Studies, Harvard University's Department of Human Evolutionary Biology; currently a lab associate in the Harvard University Department of Psychology and a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) prior to her Jepson Leadership Forum presentation "The Non-Toxic Nature of Masculinity." The 2023-24 Jepson Leadership Forum focuses on "Masculinity in a Changing World." The last few decades have seen rapid changes in gender relations and norms—in the household, in the workforce, and in government.invites speakers to discuss masculinity in the context of these recent cultural changes. Specific topics include the role of hormones in gender identity and behavior, status competition and violence, challenges facing men as a result of the changing nature of the family and the economy, Black masculinity in the United States, and the past and future of patriarchy globally. Take 5 is a series of informal interviews with the scholars and experts who present as part of the lecture series. Jan. 22, 2024

Jepson School 2023-24 Leader-in-Residence, Dr. Danny TK Avula, presents "Healing Our Social Distance: Community as the Remedy to Polarization" in the Queally Center for Admission and Career Services on the University of Richmond campus. Dr. Avula is the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services, one of the commonwealth's largest agencies. He oversees the agency's work to help stabilize families and give Virginians a pathway out of poverty. He was formerly director of the Richmond City and Henrico County Health Departments. A public health physician, Dr. Avula specializes in pediatrics and preventive medicine and continues to practice clinically as a pediatric hospitalist. Jan. 30, 2024